Local Plan updates – December 2018

Ashford – The consultation on the Main Modifications closed on the 26th October.  The representations received during the consultation have been forwarded on to the inspectors for their consideration. The Council is awaiting the inspectors’ responses to the Main Modifications

Aylesbury Vale – The council raised various points in relation to the Inspector’s interim findings, following the hearing sessions in July 2018 and is awaiting inspector’s response. Adoption is planned for January 2019.

Basildon – Regulation 19 consultation is running until 5pm on 17 December 2018. Revised Publication Local Plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State after the close of this consultation.

Bexley – The Council is currently preparing Local Plan’s preferred approach policies. Consultation on preferred approach to Local Plan policies will take place in January 2019

Braintree – Writing to the Government’s Planning Inspector following an agreement to continue work on the proposals, Braintree, Colchester and Tendring Councils have set out their timetable for completing the further evidence required after the first inspection earlier this year. The evidence and a new sustainability appraisal are expected to be completed by January next year and public consultation will follow in March 2019.

Brentwood – Brentwood’s Pre-Submission Local Plan was approved. The public consultation was set to run from mid-November to mid-January 2019, with a view to submit it to the Secretary of State by March 2019 but has not started yet.

Bromley – The council submitted the Draft Local Plan for examination on 11 August 2017. The Bromley Local Plan examination hearings took place between 4 and 14 December 2017 and main modifications consultation run from June 22 until10 August 2018.

Broxbourne – The Broxbourne Local Plan 2018-2033 was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 15th March 2018. Hearing sessions ended on the 8th of November 2018 and the council has now published a lost of main modifications prepared in response to the inspector’s report.

Cambridge and East Cambs – On 28 September 2018, the last scheduled Hearing day took place. All other Inspector determined matters and issues were scheduled to take place by written representations thereafter, with consultation on potential modifications in due course.

Canterbury – Local Plan was adopted in July 2017.

Castle Point – At a special council meeting on 28 November 2018 councillors refused to authorise a consultation on its draft local plan ahead of its submission for examination. Castle Point Council will now wait to hear whether full Government intervention will take place.

Central Beds – The hearings part of the examination of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan are expected to commence in Spring 2019.

Chelmsford – The Independent Examination hearing sessions started on 20 November and will run until 14 December 2018.

Cherwell – Preliminary Hearing on the Partial Review of Local Plan Part 1 was held on 28th September and the Inspector has advised to proceed to Main Hearings. Dates and matters for the Main Hearings are yet to be confirmed. The council is also preparing a Part 2 to the Adopted Local Plan 2011-2031 (Part 1) which will contain non-strategic site allocations and development management policies.

Chiltern and South Bucks – The next stage of the approved Local Development Scheme (draft Plan publication under Regulation 19) in June/July 2018 was not met. This is due to the need to undertake specific strategic highway (motorway) junction modelling. The Councils will review the Local Development Scheme once the timetable implications for this additional work are known.

Colchester – Writing to the Government’s Planning Inspector following an agreement to continue work on the proposals, Braintree, Colchester and Tendring Councils have set out their timetable for completing the further evidence required after the first inspection earlier this year. The evidence and a new sustainability appraisal are expected to be completed by January next year and public consultation will follow.

Dacorum – A pre-submission Draft Plan is expected in August 2019 while the Council continues undertaking the Duty to Co-operate and public and stakeholder engagement.

Dartford – The council is now undertaking the statutory consultation on the Sustainability Appraisal ‘Scoping Report’ which will run until December 5th 2018.

Dover – Regulation 18 consultation is planned for July/August 2019, with adoption expected in February 2021.

East Herts – East Herts’ District Plan was approved on the 23rd of October.

Elmbridge – On 30 October 2018, a new Local Development Scheme was approved and sets out the work programme up to 2021. Regulation 18 consultation is now planned for August/ September 2019.

Epping Forest – The Local Plan has been submitted for approval and Ms. Louise Phillips from the Planning Inspectorate has been appointed to carry out the independent Examination. The hearing sessions will open on Tuesday 12 February and will run until Thursday 23 May 2019.

Epsom and Ewell – Pre-Submission Public Consultation is planned for late 2019.

Folkestone and Hythe – The Council submitted their Places and Policies Local Plan to the Secretary of State on the 28th September 2018 for independent examination. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed Mr Jameson Bridgwater to oversee the examination process.

Gravesham – Local Development Scheme planned for Stage Two of Reg 18 consultation for November and December 2018, but it has not been announced yet.

Guildford – The Council held a six-week public consultation on the proposed main modifications to the plan between 11 September and 23 October 2018. The Inspector has indicated that he intends to hold a further hearing to discuss the housing requirement arising from the latest household projections, the implications for the additional sites that were included in the main modifications, and the way forward. A date for this hearing has not yet been established.

Harlow – Approved at Full Council on 20th September and submitted to the Secretary of State. Inspector has not been appointed yet.

Havering – Following the hearings which took take place between the 9th and 19th of October 2018, the Inspector has some outstanding concerns in relation to the Local Plan and the evidence which underpins it. The Council will aim to have the additional work completed as soon as reasonably possible in January 2019 and by the end of that month at the latest.

Hertsmere – Consultation on ‘potential housing and employment locations’ opened on 25 October and will end on 20 December 2018.

Maidstone – New Local Plan was formally adopted at Full Council on 25 October 2017. The Council is already preparing its review, with a regulation 18 – scoping/options consultation planned for summer 2019.

Maldon – The Secretary of State Approved the Maldon District Local Development Plan on 21 July 2017.

Medway – Reg. 18 Development Strategy consultation ran until 25th June 2018. The Reg. 19 consultation is expected in Winter 2018/19. Further information on the timetable for the publication of the draft Local Plan will be set out in a report to Cabinet on 18 December 2018

Milton Keynes – The Council has published a schedule of main modifications to Plan:MK for a six-week consultation period running between 31 October and 12 December 2018.

Mole Valley – Reg. 18 Preferred Options consultation to take place in early 2019 (delayed by May 2018 local elections).

North Hertfordshire – Following the hearing sessions into the Local Plan, the Inspector published his proposed Main Modifications to the plan and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal. The Main Modifications will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet at a special meeting on 10 December 2018. Subject to their approval, consultation will then be held on the Main Modifications.

Oxford City – The proposed submission document for the Local Plan 2036 has been published for consultation. The consultation period runs from 10am on Thursday 1 November to 4pm on Friday 28th December 2018.

Reigate and Banstead – Following submission of the draft Development Management Plan in May, examination hearings ran from 30th October to 9^th November 2018. The next stage will be consultation on Main Modifications to the submitted DMP, which the Inspector is currently considering. This is anticipated to be in early 2019.

Rochford – Preferred Options Document public consultation (Regulation 18) is planned for October/November 2019.

Runnymede – The Council submitted the Runnymede Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 31st July. Hearing sessions commenced on Tuesday 27th November for a period of three days plus a reserve day, with further hearings due to take place in early 2019.

Sevenoaks – The Draft Local Plan consultation ended on 10th September 2018. The draft Local Plan is being considered by councillors in November and December, with the aim of publishing the final version by the end of 2018. This version will be submitted to the Government’s Planning Inspector in Spring 2019.

Southend-on-Sea – Council intends to undertake consultation on Local Plan Issues and Options between January and March 2019, probably commencing on 21st January.

South Northamptonshire – Local Plan Part 2 Reg. 19 consultation ran for six weeks from 4 October to 16 November 2018, with submission expected by the end of January 2019.

South Oxfordshire – Full Council met in May 2018 to review the Local Plan and decided to reassess all available housing sites. The outcomes of the review are set be announced later in December and the revised publication Local Plan is expected to be voted on at the full council meeting on 20 December 2018. Reg 19 consultation will start in January 2019 with a view to submit the Secretary of State in March 2019.

Spelthorne – The council recently published its Issues and Options consultation response document following the first consultation carried out in May and June 2018 (Reg. 18). Consultation on Preferred Options (also Reg. 18) is scheduled for June-July 2019.

St Albans – Reg. 19 consultation ran until 17th October 2018. All valid representations are now being considered by the Council with the aim to submit for independent public examination in March 2019.

Stevenage – Still awaiting the secretary of state’s permission to move forward with its local plan following last November’s holding direction, after concerns were raised by Stevenage Tory MP Stephen McPartland, including over proposals to regenerate Stevenage’s train station and town centre.

Surrey Heath – The Draft Surrey Heath Local Plan Issues and Options/Preferred Options Consultation finished on Monday 30th July, and the Pre-submission Consultation is scheduled for June 2019.

Swale – The Council will be publishing a Local Development Scheme shortly which will set out the timetable for preparing the next Local Plan.

Tandridge – The Draft Local Plan Consultation (Reg. 19) finished on Monday 10th September. Members of the Planning Policy Committee will be asked to agree the final plan for submission on 19 December 2018 following the responses that were received from the consultation. If agreed at Committee, the Council anticipates submitting the final version of the Local Plan for examination in January 2019.

Tendring – Tendring, Braintree and Colchester’s Local Plan share an identical Section 1, which was considered through a joint examination in public in 2018. Following an agreement after this to continue work on the proposals, the councils expect to complete further evidence and a new sustainability appraisal by Feb/March 2019 and public consultation will follow in June/July 2019, with the enquiry likely to take place in late 2019. Tendring-specific policies and allocations can be found within Section 2 of the Local Plan, which will be finalised following Section 1 and is expected to be submitted in Spring 2020.

Thanet – The Council submitted the draft Local Plan to the Secretary of State on 30th October 2018, for independent examination. Independent Inspectors have been appointed by the Planning Inspectorate but the hearings schedule has not yet been released.

Three Rivers – Potential Sites Consultation is open between 26 October and 7 December 2018. Publication stage is planned for Autumn 2019.

Thurrock – Reg. 18 (Issues and Options Stage 2: Spatial Options and Sites) took place in July 2018. Reg. 19 was planned for September 2019 but has been delayed following the publication of the revised NPPF.

Tonbridge and Malling – The Reg. 19 consultation ran until 19th November 2018. The council aims to submit its local plan to the secretary of state by the end of 2018.

Tunbridge Wells – Preferred Options Reg. 18 consultation is completed. Consultation on a Pre-Submission Local Plan (Reg. 19) will take place from 30^th March 2020.

Uttlesford – Consultation on the Addendum of Focussed Changes to the Regulation 19 Local Plan ran until 27 November 2018. Aim is to submit to the government for independent examination before 24^th January 2019.

Vale of White Horse – Local Plan 2031 Part 1: Strategic Sites and Policies was adopted at Full Council in December 2016. The council submitted the Local Plan 2031 Part 2 to the Secretary of State on 23 February 2018 for independent examination and hearings closed on 6 September 2018. The Inspector is reviewing council’s modifications proposed in response to his post-hearing letter.

Watford – Issues and Options consultation ran from Friday 7 September to Friday 19 October. First draft local plan is expected in Autumn 2019.

Waverley – The council is completing additional work on the Local Plan Part 2 and it is expected that the Reg.19 Consultation will take place in June/July 2019, with submission in Winter 2019.

Welwyn Hatfield – Local Plan was submitted for examination on 15 May 2017. Stage 5 of the hearing sessions took place on 6-7th November 2018. The Stage 6 hearing sessions which were provisionally set for early December 2018 will not be taking place and new provisional dates will be released shortly.

West Oxfordshire – The West Oxfordshire Local Plan was formally adopted on 27 September 2018 and sets out the overall planning framework for the District from 2011 – 2031.

Woking – The revised Local Development Scheme approved by Council on 18 October 2018. Publication of Submission draft Site Allocations DPDs (Reg.19) is expected to take place in Winter 2018/19 and submission to Secretary of State in June/July 2019.

Wycombe – Submitted for public examination in March 2018. The final scheduled hearing session took place on September 26th and the inspector indicated her final report will be in the first quarter of 2019.